Kind of a Nice Feeling
by 505 living dead
Summary: Sakura is a tease, Shikamaru is stuck babysitting. Rating might change for future chapters.
1. 1 Going Out

Hello, 505 here.

Gah, so this is my first story on this site, so cue general nervousness and stuff, you know the drill :-/

Standard disclaimer; if Naruto characters were mine... well. We can only imagine.

Enjoy! and please review! this is my first story, so any feedback is super appreciated, even constructive criticism. Ill love you all no matter what (but please be nice). Thanks :-)

* * *

**Chapter 1.**

Sakura sighed as the doorbell rang. She was sure it was Ino, considering the blonde had managed to extract a promise of going out tonight from her. She briefly considered ignoring it, but knew that a simple door would never keep her best friend out.

"Hey," Sakura huffed, opening the door. Sure enough, Ino was standing on her doorstep, tapping her foot and looking at her watch impatiently. She hated waiting.

"Oh, shush," the older girl rolled her eyes at the pinky's obvious reluctance. "You'd think I was putting you through torture or something."

"You practically are," Sakura argued, following the blond as she swept into the apartment as if it was her own. Considering how much of her time she spent here, it could have been.

"Whatever. Let's get you dressed."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this to me," Sakura groaned as she stood in the middle of her room, Ino circling her to admire her own work.

"Letting me do what? Dress you like a woman for once? Or making you live your life a little?" Ino grinned at her best friend.

"Shut up, I do too dress like a woman," Sakura protested weakly, knowing she rarely wore anything other than her training or medic gear. Ino's grin grew wider as she sensed the defeat behind those words. "Okay fine, I don't really dress up, ever. Happy?"

"Of course not sweetie," Ino sighed, "I just wished you did things other than work and train. You need to cut loose a little bit. Have some fun."

"I have fun."

"Puh-lease. When was the last time you went out?"

"Uhhhh," Sakura racked her brain for an answer, knowing she wouldn't find one. She never went out. She had never felt that comfortable in the clubbing scene anyway, and ever since Tsunade-san had started giving her more responsibility at the hospital a few years back, the work had piled up. Not to say that she didn't enjoy it. Sakura loved her job. But it was true that between work and missions, she hadn't really had any time to relax lately.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Ino smirked at Sakura's prolonged silence. "Now, what do you think?" She asked, pulling her friend towards the mirror.

"Oh!" Sakura gasped at the reflection of herself. Ino had dressed her in a strappy black dress that clung to her curves and reached mid-thigh. Her back was left mostly bare, which was perfect for the summer night's balmy weather, and also made wearing a bra impossible. Sakura had been nervous about that part, but seeing how good it looked, and how you could barely tell she wasn't wearing one, her worries melted away. Her trademark shoulder length pink hair was swept up in a messy bun, and the bare minimum of mascara lined her eyes, just enough to make the green in them pop. She looked stunning.

"Well?" Ino prompted, looking smug.

"You're amazing!" Sakura laughed. Ino immediately brightened at this and broke into a wide grin.

"I know. Now come on, let's go," she laughed, throwing matching black heels to her friend before grabbing her purse and heading to the door. "We're going to be the last ones there."

* * *

Zinc was one of the most popular nightclubs in Konoha, so it was no surprise that it was packed when they arrived, filled to the brim with the usual friday night crowd. Sakura winced as they pushed past a loud group pressed against the bar. She recognized a few of them from the times she worked the saturday morning shift at the hospital. There were always a few hardcore partygoers with alcohol poisoning or bar fight injuries passing through around that time.

Thankfully, after passing a drink to Sakura and grabbing one for herself, Ino led the way to the back, where the dim lights revealed some tables set up for people who weren't dancing or glued to the bar. There Sakura spotted the rest of the rookie 9, plus Neji and Tenten. She cringed slightly when she noticed Rock Lee there as well. He was a nice guy, really, but always went overboard with his declarations of love. Also, he was an incredible lightweight and a horrible drunk. She hoped everyone was keeping him away from the alcohol.

Naruto noticed them first, jumping up and waving at them.

"SAKURA! INO! OVER HERE!"

"So loud," she muttered, but waved back anyway, a smile spreading across her face despite herself when as soon as she got close enough she found herself wrapped in a bear hug.

"Air!" She she finally gasped when she couldn't take it any more, pushing Naruto off her.

"Oof," he gasped, rubbing the spot she had shoved. "Please don't break me Saku-chan, imagine how sad you'll make all the girls here."

Sakura snorted delicately, knowing Naruto was as gay as a fairy, albeit a tall, rugged, tanned and muscled one. She might have been attracted to him, had he not been more like an older brother to her. "More like I'll finally give Sasuke a break from dealing with you. God knows how much he probably needs it," she smirked, brushing her chakra infused fingers over the bruise forming on his arm anyway. It faded immediately.

Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to his boyfriend. "Ne, Sasu-teme, you don't need a break from me, right?"

The boy in question merely looked back at him, no expression on his face. "Hn."

Naruto's pout turned into a sly grin as he leaned forward and whispered in Sasuke's ear, the latter's face turning unnoticeably redder as a glint appeared in his eyes. "Hn," he repeated, making Naruto grin and swing an arm around his waist.

Sakura smiled at the obvious affection between the two boys she considered her brothers, then turned back to the rest of the group, where she was immediately accosted by Lee.

"MY BEAUTIFUL FLOWER OF SPRINGTIME, HOW LOVELY AND FULL OF YOUTH YOU LOOK THIS EVENING!" He started. "IT IS AN HONOR HAVING YOU GRACE US WITH YOUR PRESENCE TONIGHT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE DRESSED SO SEDUCTIVELY!"

_Oh lord,_ thought Sakura as Ino broke into giggles. "Thank you Lee," she managed, before escaping to the furthest end of the table from him, next to Shikamaru, who was leaning on the table, half asleep.

"How can you possibly sleep here?" Sakura asked, curious. Shika cracked open an eyelid and squinted up at her.

"Easily enough," he drawled in his low voice. "I just pretend I'm not actually here."

"Oh, were you forced along too?"

"Yeah, Kiba. You?"

"Ino. Why does Kiba need you here?"

Shikamaru sat up and leaned over slightly so that his next words were spoken directly into Sakura's ear. "I believe he plans on asking out Hinata tonight, and needs the moral support. Especially with Neji here."

Sakura shivered slightly at the feeling of his breath on her ear, and glanced over to where Kiba was sitting, regaling Hinata with stories of Akamaru and the baby pups they were raising. Hinata was blushing happily and giggling at Kiba's excited hand gestures. They looked good together.

"Cute," She said softly, unaware that she had spoken aloud until she heard Shika's low chuckle, still frighteningly close to her sensitive ear.

"Yeah," he agreed, drawing back a bit to take a gulp of his beer. Sakura followed suit, sipping her untouched drink.

Across from her, Ino slammed down her own finished drink and stood, smiling widely.

"Let's dance!" She crooned, tugging Tenten up beside her. Tenten, already slightly drunk, giggled and swayed her hips a little to the rhythm of the music blasting from the dance floor. Ino glared at Sakura until she stood up as well, deciding to give up without a fight.

Naruto immediately pulled Sasuke out on the floor after them, and Kiba managed to ask Hinata to dance as well, saved by the fact that Tenten had come back and grabbed Neji from his seat. Only Shikamaru, who was too lazy to dance, and Chouji, who accepted Ino's kiss before waving her on, were left sitting.

Sakura let herself be pulled to the center of the dance floor, where the music was loudest and the crowd the thickest. Facing Ino, she started to move her hips back and forth in time to the music. Ino laughed and pulled her friend closer, so that they were dancing together.

"See? It's not so bad to let loose once in a while," Ino shouted above the noise. Sakura grinned and let her hands raise above her head as she got pulled into the rhythm of the bass. Ino was right, this wasn't bad.

The two girls were dancing slow, losing themselves in the music, and it was fucking sexy and they knew it. Soon, they were surrounded by a circle of guys, all trying to get their attention. Ino huffed and shook her long blond hair at them, keeping them at bay just by the force of her aura. Sakura giggled, leaning back slightly against one who dared brave the force that was Ino to dance with her. Soon she got bored with his overly sexual gyrating and pushed him away, only have him be immediately replaced by another.

After a while of this, Sakura started to feel overheated and dehydrated. She signaled Ino that she was getting a drink and left, heading back to the table.

* * *

She leaned over Shika and grabbed his beer, relishing the coolness of it as she gulped it down.

"Hey," he growled, and Sakura raised a delicate eyebrow at him, daring him to say anything. "Troublesome woman," he sighed.

Sakura giggled. "I'm going to get some air," she said, grabbing her purse.

"I'll go with you," Shika said, standing up and following her out.

Once outside, they turned into a nearby alleyway, where Sakura found a half broken chair to sit in and started to massage her feet. Shikamaru pulled out a packet of smokes and lit one, taking a deep drag.

Sakura looked up at him and watched him exhale, eyes sliding down to half mast, the smoke blurring his features slightly. It was oddly erotic, the way he smoked. Something stirred deep in Sakura's belly. _How strange,_ she thought.

Suddenly his eyes were on her. "What?" He asked.

Startled at having been caught staring, Sakura blushed and changed the subject the first way she knew. "You really shouldn't smoke those things, you know."

A corner of his mouth curved up in a wry grin. "Always the medic, huh?" He asked in his gravelly voice. She had never noticed how deep it was, or how sexy.

Sakura blushed again at the direction her thoughts were taking and looked down, afraid he'd see it in her face somehow. Good lord, she must be drunk or something, she thought, thinking about Shikamaru like this, of all people. Never mind that she'd only had a drink and a half. _I should fix that,_ she thought, standing up again.

"Going back in?" Shikamaru asked, eyeing her through the smoke once more.

"Yeah, I'm going to get a drink."

"Okay," Shikamaru took one last drag of his cigarette before flicking it aside. "I believe you owe me one anyway," he smirked, following Sakura in again. She stuck out her tongue, but agreed nonetheless.

* * *

Shikamaru smiled slightly as the girl next to him leaned over and grabbed his drink. He'd been sitting at the bar talking to Sakura since his smoke break over an hour ago, and it hadn't taken him that long to realize he was enjoying it. Sakura was interesting and intelligent, and the way her face lit up when she spoke about her work made the air around her glow. The best thing was, she didn't just talk, she listened. Shikamaru could actually have a conversation with her that didn't revolve around only her life, which was often the case with Ino, and Sakura was actually interested in the things he had to say.

It was a new experience, to say the least, and neither of them even noticed the time passing until Sakura laughed a little to hard and almost fell out of her chair and onto Shikamaru. At which point he realized that they'd been sitting at the bar for more than an hour, and that Sakura was more than a little drunk. She had been stealing sips out of his drinks half the time, after all.

"Sakura, I think this is a good time to stop drinking," Shika said, trying to make her sit up.

"Noooo, I like this, this is fuuun," Sakura giggled, slurring her words slightly. "Ahrent you having fun too?"

"I am, but you're pretty drunk, and that might ruin the fun a little bit, don't you think?"

"Ah, ahm never drunk. Just once wont hurt," Sakura leaned back onto Shika, who's face flushed slightly at the close contact.

"You say that now," he muttered under his breath, pulling Sakura to her feet. "Can you stand?" He asked, loud enough that she could hear.

"Mmhmm," Sakura giggled, holding her self upright. _At least she's not _that_ wasted,_ Shika thought, before Sakura interrupted his thoughts by throwing her arms around his neck. "Hey, let's danshe, okay? I wanna dance now." She emphasized this statement by moving her hips slowly against him.

Shikamaru swallowed, willing his mind away from any thoughts involving sexy, intoxicated pink haired girls grinding against him. "Uh, Sakura, I don't dance," he managed. "Why don't you go find Ino?"

"Cause I wanna dance with _you,"_ Sakura pouted up at him, and Shikamaru groaned as he tried not to think about how soft and pink her lips looked like that, and how much he wanted to lean down and kiss them until they were swollen.

Sakura, unaware of his thoughts, grabbed his hand, "C'mon," she said, tugging, and damn if the woman wasn't still freakishly strong even while drunk.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, resigned to his fate.

Sakura dragged him out to the floor and started swaying to the beat, making Shikamaru uncomfortably aware of how close she was once more. This time, though, there was no easy escape. The crowd had closed in around them and the only bubble of air around was between them. Sakura glanced up at him and scowled.

"You aren't dancing."

"I told you, I don't dance." Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"Do you even know how to?" Shikamaru glared down at her.

"Yeah, I just choose not to. It's too—"

"Let me guess, troublesome." Sakura interrupted him, her pout turning into an unexpected smirk. She turned and took a step back, pushing herself almost completely against him, and continued to dance to the music.

"Wh-what are you doing Sakura?" Shikamaru gasped out, his face reddening. Sakura looked up over her shoulder at him grinned.

"Getting you to dance," she giggled.

As soon as he registered the teasing look in her eye, all of Shikamaru's self control shattered, and he found himself wrapping an arm around her and pulling her flush against him, his other hand coming to rest on her hip and grinding her slightly against him. Sakura gasped slightly at the sudden contact before moving against him again.

Suddenly they were hot, they were burning, and the pounding of the bass was pushing them for more, was engulfing them in heat. They were spinning and grinding and and gasping and dancing and Sakura's arms were wrapped around his neck and his hands were running from her hips up her sides and down again, pulling her closer every time. They couldn't breathe and their lips found each other, trying to steal each others air, kissing without thought. Sakura was facing him now and her hands were tugging on his hair and Shikamaru was kissing her like he wanted to consume her, biting her lips to gain entrance, dominating her mouth with his. She could feel his erection through his jeans, and the knowledge that he was aroused, that _she_ was making him aroused, only incensed her desire for more. She moaned into his mouth as he ground into her.

The sound, sudden after the lack of any noise between them but panting, shocked some sense into them and they broke apart, eyes wide.

They stared at each other a second before Shikamaru broke the silence.

"That was…unexpected," he rasped out, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Yes," Sakura agreed, "It was. Um, do you want to go find everyone else?" She suggested, a wavering smile almost hiding her embarrassment.

"Sure, yeah," Shikamaru said, forcing his face back into the usual bored expression he wore, the only sign of his own embarrassment the flush covering his face. He turned and started walking towards the table.

Sakura, still a little drunk, almost giggled when she noticed that his ears had turned bright red as well, and grabbed his arm, letting him pull her along.

* * *

"Where's Ino?" Sakura asked Sasuke as soon as she got back to the table. His eyebrow raised at the sight of her still hanging off a flushed Shikamaru's arm, but he answered nonetheless.

"Left with Chouji. Said she couldn't find you."

"Aw shit, we were supposed to go home together, that bitch," Sakura groaned.

"Do you want me to get Naruto to take you home?"

Sakura frowned. Their apartments were on the same side of town, but…

"Wasn't he going to go to your place tonight?"

"Hn. He can come afterward," Sasuke said.

Sakura hesitated. She didn't want to drag Naruto away from the bar, and it made no sense for him to have to cross the village twice just for her. Sure, she was a little drunk, but she could probably make it home alone no problem. She was about to decline when Shikamaru spoke up.

"I'll walk you home," he said. He had been watching the thoughts fly across her face and had immediately known what she had chosen. A decision he was _not _okay with.

Sakura glanced up at him, surprised.

"You don't have to," she said.

"We're going in the same direction anyway," Shikamaru sighed. "Besides, you're drunk."

"No I'm not!" Sakura frowned. "Well, not really."

Shikamaru grunted, already steering them towards the exit.

* * *

They walked mostly in silence until Sakura pulled them to a stop halfway to her house.

"Sorry," she said, bending down, "but my feet are killing me. Can we take a break?"

"Mm," Shikamaru agreed, eyeing her heels. "Why wear them if you know they're gonna hurt?"

"Normally I wouldn't," Sakura sighed, "but Ino dressed me and it's impossible to say no to her."

"Sounds familiar," he nodded, and Sakura was reminded that Shikamaru was on the same team as the forceful blonde. He would know. "Why don't you just take them off?"

"Huh?" Distracted by her thoughts of Ino, Sakura had completely forgotten what they were talking about.

"The shoes. Why not just take them off?"

"And walk home barefoot?" Sakura cringed. "The sidewalk is really dirty."

"You can wash your feet afterwards."

"Ugh, I'd really rather not though."

"Sakura," Shikamaru said. "That makes no sense. You're torturing your feet."

"I know," she whined, "but i still don't want to walk home barefoot." Shikamaru sighed and crouched down next to her.

"Get on."

"What?" Sakura said, staring at him.

"I'm going to carry you. Get on." Sakura's mouth fell open, and she stared at him until he turned his head to look at her. "What?"

"Shikamaru, you can't be serious."

"I am." And since he was looking at her with his usual bored expression, Sakura was willing to believe him.

"B-but you can't, I mean, w-what-"

"Sakura," Shikamaru sighed, "just get on."

"I'm not that light," she finally warned him, putting her arms around his neck.

Shikamaru chuckled softly, and Sakura felt it reverberate through his chest to his back. It was a nice sound, and the giddy feeling it gave her made her want to hide her face.

"I'm not that weak," he said, and stood up easily, seeming not to notice her weight at all. He started walking, keeping up a steady pace.

Sakura was surprised. She had known that Shikamaru was no longer the awkward gangly kid he had been as a teenager; that would be impossible in their line of work. But she had somehow missed his transformation from weirdly tall and skinny to ruggedly handsome. She could feel his muscles moving through his shirt, and that combined with the way his rough hands kept brushing her thighs where her dress rode up was making her really want to rip his clothes off and run her hands all over him. _I bet it would feel divine…_ Sakura giggled quietly as the thought popped into her head.

"How can you be so strong when you're so lazy?" She said, half to herself. Shikamaru chuckled again, in a way she found extremely…delicious, for lack of a better word.

"I'm not the captain of the Anbu for nothing," he said.

"Mhmm," Sakura hummed, unaware of the effect she was having on Shikamaru. Her mouth was right next to his ear goddamnit and every breath and hum and sigh went straight to his groin as he imagined all the ways he could _make _her make those sounds. And shit, he was pretty sure she wasn't wearing a bra under that dress, either. It was enough to drive a man crazy.

_I really need to calm down, _Shikamaru thought. _This is Sakura, dammit. Pure thoughts only, pure thoughts only…_

When they got to her apartment, Shikamaru discovered that Sakura had fallen asleep on his back. He called her name a few times, with no response, so grumbling slightly about how troublesome the situation was, he fished the key out of her purse and let them in.

Her apartment was small, and it only took two tries to find her room. Shikamaru hesitated slightly before entering. A girls' room was supposed to be private, right? Shrugging slightly, he figured she wouldn't mind that much and opened the door.

Laying Sakura down onto the bed, he studied the girl below him. She really was very pretty, and with the dress she was wearing showing off all of her curves, she was downright stunning.

Shikamaru sighed at the direction his thoughts were once more taking him and distracted himself by squatting down and unstrapping her ridiculous shoes. He had taken care of a drunken Ino enough times to know the drill by now.

Dropping the shoes on the floor, he reached up to take out the stick thingys she had put in her hair. It would probably hurt like a bitch to sleep with them in, he figured, running his hands through her hair to loosen the hairdo. Damn her hair was soft. He bet it would feel great to sink his hands into it while kissing her, and then pulling slightly to make her bare her neck so he could kiss his way down to her—

He was pulled out of of his fantasy by a small groan. He looked down to see Sakura squinting up at him.

"Whatchu doing?" She asked, yawning.

"Putting you to bed." Shikamaru deadpanned, hoping the darkness covered his flushed face.

"Mmkay," Sakura sighed, throwing her arms back around his neck. "That's nice."

"Sakura, you should sleep. It's late."

"Mmhmm," she hummed in agreement.

"I should go." Shikamaru sighed, trying to remover her arms. Sakura frowned slightly.

"No," she said, tightening her hold. "Stay."

"Sakura, please let go of me," Shikamaru said. He knew she was half asleep and not saying what he thought she was saying, but any more might be dangerous for his fragile self control, and he had no desire to take advantage of an intoxicated girl.

Sakura pulled him towards her and gave him a sleepy kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Stay," she repeated, pulling him down onto the bed. She kissed him again and promptly fell asleep, leaving Shikamaru frozen beside her.

Once he was sure she was asleep for real this time, Shikamaru tried to free himself, only to find that Sakura had a death grip on him.

"Troublesome," he sighed, figuring it would be easiest to give in. He kicked off his shoes, pulled the cover over them, and made himself comfortable.

* * *

/505

Phew! So that's finally over with :-)

Wanna know what happens next? Will there BE a next? Reviewing will give me incentive to tell you (ahem update), and it's not that hard, either :-

Till next time

Peace

505/


	2. 2 Staying In

Hello, 505 here again.

Thanks to everyone who read/favorited/followed and especially reviewed! You guys made my week, I swear, and are also the reason that I have a second chapter so soon (for me anyway) so here goes.

Disclaimer: I got over it ages ago

Please enjoy, guys :-)

* * *

**Chapter 2.**

Sakura drifted into consciousness feeling slightly disoriented. She thought she was at home, but her mattress had become hard and muscular, and while still being extremely comfortable, it was unfamiliar. The smell had also changed. It smelled of smoke and wood and peppermint and…earth? It smelled really good, and slightly familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

Sakura cracked open an eye and blearily looked up. Her mattress had become Shikamaru. So that's where the smell was from, she thought.

"You smell good," she muttered sleepily, closing her eyes again.

A second later her eyes popped open, all sleepiness gone, to find Shikamaru staring down at her with an amused look on his face.

"Good morning," he smirked slightly. "Sleep well?"

"Shikamaru? What the hell are you doing here?" Sakura cried, jumping off of him. Franticly she searched her memories for any clues, but the last thing she remembered clearly was being carried home.

"It's not like I had much of a choice, you know. You literally wouldn't let me go," Shikamaru said, looking a little annoyed. "Troublesome woman."

"Oh," Sakura blushed and glanced down, noting that she was still wearing her dress. "And we didn't, um, you know—"

"Do anything?" Shikamaru looked amused again. "Well not unless you count you trying to rape me repeatedly throughout the night…" Sakura looked aghast.

"I did not!" She said, putting her fists on her hips in a gesture that would normally have been threatening, but only made her look adorable, what with her party dress and bed head. Shikamaru put his hands up defensively anyway. Even a cute Sakura was a potentially dangerous one when angry.

"Kidding, kidding," he admitted, sitting up. "Only slight sexual harassment when you asked me to stay."

Sakura blushed bright red. She had asked him to stay? She had sexually harassed him while asking him to stay? The memory slowly came back, and Sakura gasped and hid her face in her hands.

"Oh my god how embarrassing I'm so sorry," she said, her words muffled by her hands.

"I'd be lying if I said I hated it," she heard Shikamaru say. Sakura peeked through her fingers to find him smirking at her. "It's not very often I get propositioned by someone as attractive as you."

Sakura stared at him in shock. Was he hitting on her? Since when did Shikamaru hit on people?

"Psh," she finally said. "It's not very often you get propositioned at all, I bet." Shikamaru chuckled, the deep sound making her stomach tingle, and stood up.

"Touché. So now that you're finally off of me, I should probably go, I guess." Sakura frowned.

"Now? Like that?" Shikamaru was, after all, still dressed in last nights clothes. Clothes he had danced in and sweated in and slept in. That sort of thing was okay in missions and when you weren't leaving your house in the near future, but not otherwise. "Gross."

"I thought you said I smelled good?" Shikamaru smirked at her again.

"T-that's not, I mean, you—ugh," Sakura stuttered, her face on fire. She took a deep, calming breath and continued. "Do you want to stay for breakfast? You can shower and stuff, I probably have some of the boys' clothes lying around that would fit you."

Shikamaru blinked at her, amused, then shrugged. "Sure, if it's no bother."

"It's not," Sakura assured him, smiling cheekily. "As long as you do the cooking." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you think I can cook?" He asked, the smirk back in full force. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Did you forget that Ino is my best friend? And the worst gossip in Konoha? If she knows, everybody knows."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru said, through the smile was still there. "I guess I'm cooking then. You gonna shower first?"

"Yup," Sakura called, already on her way to the bathroom. "Help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen."

"Will do," Shikamaru answered, heading towards the kitchen.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Bathroom's free," Sakura walked into the kitchen, nose first. "That smells delicious. What is it?"

"Mushroom ratatouille omelet," Shikamaru answered. "I'm frying potatoes on the side, and I took the bacon out in case you wanted some."

"Oh hell yes. This is awesome!" Sakura grinned, moving closer. Shikamaru glanced at her and almost choked. Sakura was wearing a light green tank top and the shortest shorts he had ever seen her in. They made her legs go on for miles and from where he was standing, emphasized the curve of her ass quite nicely. It was… Sexy, not a word he would have normally used on the super strong kunoichi. He swallowed nervously. A cold shower would definitely be in order.

"Then can you put it on while I'm in the shower? And keep an eye on the rest, it should be done in five."

"'Kay," Sakura said, smiling up at him as she took his place, and accidentally giving him a good look at her cleavage.

_Yup, cold shower,_ Shikamaru thought as he headed towards the bathroom.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

About four minutes later, just as Sakura was about to turn the heat down and get Shikamaru some clothes, her front door slammed open.

"You alive, Forehead?" Ino called as she sauntered in. Sakura straightened from the defensive posture she had immediately taken.

"Are you crazy, Pig? I could have killed you! What happened to knocking?" She cried, lowering the flame.

"Chill, girl. I just wanted to make sure you got home okay last night. And you left your door unlocked. Ooh, that smells good." Ino said, leaning on the counter beside her. "So what's with the buffet? Get a ton of exercise last night?" She raised an eyebrow and smirked suggestively.

Sakura blushed, about to deny it, when Shikamaru came strolling into the kitchen, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Hey, where did you say those clothes were—" He cut off as soon as he saw Ino staring wide eyed at him from next to a blushing Sakura. Shit. He knew that look.

"OH. MY. GOD. YOU SLEPT WITH SHIKAMARU?" Ino squealed at the top of her voice, her head turning to Sakura so fast he was surprised she didn't get whiplash.

"No I didn't!" Sakura cried, her blush even brighter, "This isn't what it looks like!"

"That's crazy, I mean I thought the bum was too lazy to even get an erection," Ino continued, to the discomfort of both other occupants of the room.

"Ino," Shikamaru said, a pained expression on his face. They were discussing his manhood while he was standing there in nothing but a towel, for god's sake.

"And I never would have expected this from you, Forehead," she continued, ignoring him, "I mean, little prudish Sakura having a one night stand? Brilliant!"

"I'm not a prude, and that's not what happened," Sakura snapped, her fury covering her embarrassment for a moment. Ino laughed.

"Hey, hey, don't get mad. It's normal for people in their twenties to have a fling or two. Anyways, I'm probably disturbing you, so imma run. See you later!And don't forget to use protection!" She laughed, and was out the door in a second, leaving Sakura and Shikamaru feeling like a tornado had just blown through.

"Well, that was just stupid," Shikamaru sighed.

"You do realize that everyone's going to know about this in an hour, right?" Sakura responded, turning back to the food, which was miraculously unharmed.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru said, moving up next to her. "That looks ready. Where do you keep the plates?"

"Does it not bother you that everyone is going to think we're fuck buddies or something?" Sakura demanded, turning to face him. Suddenly she was very aware that Shikamaru was still only wearing a towel, and that his half naked body was less than two feel away from her. Her breath caught in her throat, and the tension that suddenly rose between them was palpable.

Had she mentioned how sexy Shikamaru was? Or how much she wanted to run her hands down his bare chest? To lick it, even, and then follow the fine trail of hair that started at his bellybutton down, below his towel, with her mouth. Because, damn, did she want to. And his hair was untied, wet from the shower. She had never seen him with his hair down before. God, it was maddeningly sexy. Just like him. Heat pooled in her stomach.

Shikamaru's eyelids dropped to half mast as he watched the girl in front of him eat him with her eyes. Damn, that was hot. He felt his lower body responding despite the cold shower he had just stepped out of.

"No point in worrying about what I can't change," He said, his voice coming out rough and deep, practically a growl. The way she was biting her lip while staring at him made him want to suck it into his mouth and kiss her until she moaned. It probably wouldn't take that much, he thought, unconsciously taking a step forward.

Sakura gasped and glanced up, catching his eye. The way he was looking at her right now was almost feral, and the blazing heat hidden in his usually stoic eyes made the heat in her stomach move lower.

"Shika," she managed, and then his mouth was on hers, pressing, sucking, biting until she responded, and then their tongues were battling for dominance, and while Sakura was putting up a good fight, Shikamaru was winning, and Sakura didn't care because it felt good, so she opened her mouth for more and put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

Shikamaru groaned and pressed her harder against the counter, and when she squirmed in discomfort he grabbed her ass and lifted her, pulling their bodies as close as possible. Sakura wrapped her legs around his waist and fisted one hand in his hair, the other on his shoulder, holding her up. Her nails were leaving scratch marks on his back so Shikamaru fisted one hand in her hair and pulled, moving his mouth down her throat. But these weren't the sweet kissed he had envisioned last night but hard love bites that left her gasping and squirming.

"Sh-shika!" Sakura moaned, pulling his face back up to hers to kiss him again, harder.

"What," he growled, kissing her back, leaving her no room to speak.

"T-the food," she panted when he finally let her up for air. Sure enough, something smelled burnt.

"Right," Shikamaru breathed, pulling back a bit. They stared at each other for a second, wondering how to proceed. Both were flushed and breathing heavy, their hair looking like they had just had sex, and in Sakura's case, her clothing all awry. "Plates," Shikamaru finally said, moving away from Sakura so she could get down from the counter.

"I-I should go get you some clothes," she squeaked, running out of the room.

"Right," Shikamaru said, willing his erection away and turning to the stove to check the damage.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Surprisingly, everything but a few pieces of bacon was fine, and once Shikamaru was dressed, they were able to sit down and eat.

"So, um, how's life and stuff?" Sakura asked, trying to break the awkward silence that had formed between them. Shikamaru glanced at her.

"Fine," he said between bites.

"And work?"

"Fine."

"Anything interesting happen lately?"

"Not really."

"Damn it, are you really going to be like this?" Sakura exploded, glaring at him.

"Like what?" Shikamaru was trying his best not to smile.

"All awkward with the one word answers and shit," Sakura snapped. Battle lost.

"I'm always like this," Shikamaru smirked.

"Fine." Sakura stabbed her fork into her omelet. Shikamaru sighed.

"Troublesome woman. What do you want from me?"

"I don't know," Sakura said. "I've never done anything like this. How am I supposed to react?"

"Sakura," Shikamaru laughed, "how should I know? This is a first for me too." Sakura glanced up at him.

"Really?"

"Uh, yeah. Shouldn't that be obvious?"

"It kinda seems like you're used to this, actually."

"Well I'm not," Shikamaru snorted. "Women are waaay too troublesome for me."

"Well excuse me for being so troublesome," Sakura smiled slightly.

"Eh, you're not that bad."

"Better than Ino?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Definitely better than Ino," Shikamaru smirked.

"Okay, I'll take it. So what do we do now?" He shrugged and looked at her.

"Do we have to do anything?" Sakura considered for a moment.

"I guess not," she smiled, relieved. They finished eating in comfortable silence, and then cleaned up.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Thanks for breakfast," Shikamaru said, slipping on his shoes.

"You made it," Sakura reminded him, grinning. "You can thank me for the shower, though."

"That, then," Shikamaru smirked. "And everything else, too." Sakura immediately caught his meaning.

"That's not really something I want to be thanked for," she blushed. "I'm sorry for making you stay."

"Hey, it wasn't all bad," Shikamaru teased her. "You did make it worth my while." Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Did I now? By my recollection, you instigated it both times, and therefore, it was up to you to make it worth _my _while. "

"Didn't I?" Shikamaru grinned, making Sakura's stomach flip.

"How's that?" Sakura smirked back.

"Well, there were my magnificent kissing skills," he said, keeping a straight face .

"That good, huh?"

"Well you seemed to think so at the time," Shikamaru's lips curled up as he remembered _exactly _how much she had been enjoying it.

"Conceited idiot," Sakura laughed.

"Mmm," Shikamaru smirked. "Anything else?"

"I did get a nice look at your half naked body when you came into the kitchen," she conceded.

"Enjoyed the view?" Shikamaru's smirk grew wider.

"Oh yeah," she grinned.

"Then I guess we're even."

"Even," Sakura agreed. "And for the record, you should wear your hair down more often."

"I'll remember that," he chuckled. "In the meantime," he leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss that was short, soft, and sweet. "Something to remember me by."

He grinned and was out her door and halfway down the stairs before Sakura reacted.

"YOU JERK!" She called after him. Shikamaru raised his hand, signaling that he'd heard her, and kept walking. "I'd have remembered anyway," she whispered to herself, sinking to the floor to hide her blushing face in her knees.

* * *

/505

done! I know it's a lot shorter than the first one but that seemed like a good place to stop, so...

and I've officially got the writing bug for this story, so it's def not done yet :-D

In the meantime, please review! Thanks!

Ciao

505/


	3. 3 The Boys

Hey, 505 here.

It's been a while, I know, but life got in the way, and I sort of forgot about this, but I'm back! Finally!

Disclaimer: Ugh, I get it already

Let me know what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 3.**

Sakura was distracted. She was sitting in front of her computer staring at a mostly blank page, no further ahead than she had been a couple hours ago. She was _supposed _to be typing up a report for Tsunade, but she just couldn't concentrate on the subject. Hell, she couldn't even remember what the subject was.

Sakura leaned back in her chair and sighed. _The heat must be getting to my head,_ she thought, frowning at the reminder that it was 90-something degrees outside and her AC was broken. She hated days like these, where every breath felt like a challenge and everything was hot and damp and sweaty.

_I didn't mind the heat so much when it was Shikamaru generating it,_ the thought popped into her head so unexpectedly that Sakura almost fell out of her chair. She groaned as the memories of the past two days came tumbling back. Here was the other reason she couldn't concentrate. It had been so long since she had let anyone touch her like that, or at all really, and a couple hours with Shikamaru had her body burning in places she didn't even know she could. It was like every time she thought of him, an inferno was borne inside her. Which was often.

Deciding that she wasn't going to get anything done like this, Sakura closed her laptop and stood up, stretching. She didn't have to be at work until 5, and it wasn't even lunchtime yet, so she had pretty much her whole day ahead of her. Just as she was trying to figure out what to do with herself, a loud banging came from her front door.

"Who is it?" Sakura called as she walked towards it.

"Ne, Sakura, it's me!"

"You do realize that saying 'it's me' doesn't actually tell me who you are, right?" She smiled as she opened the door to find Naruto grinning at her.

"Yeah, but you knew," he shrugged as he walked past her, inviting himself in. He went straight to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water before stretching himself out on the couch. "Damn it's hot out today," he grumbled.

"Which reminds me, do you think you could take a look at my AC? It's broken again," Sakura grimaced in annoyance.

"I could," Naruto said, not moving from his spot on the couch. "Or, and I'm just throwing this out there, but you _could_ just get a new one. You get paid well enough and kami knows that thing is well past it's retirement date."

"Yeah, but I don't really have the time to go shopping. Will you do it?"

"Sure."

"Thanks!" Sakura smiled. At least that was out of the way. "Speaking of which, what do you want, anyway?"

Naruto glanced at her in amusement. "That was the worst segue I've heard in a while, even for you."

"Shut up," Sakura flushed. "What do you want?"

"Weeeell," Naruto drawled, knowing it would annoy her, "I happened to hear an interesting rumor on the training grounds yesterday."

"And?" Sakura asked, trying to look bored.

"And I wanted to know if it was true," he leaned forward, grinning.

"Dunno," she cocked an eyebrow. "Depends on the rumor."

"You're not gonna tell me?" Naruto stared up at her with wide, pleading eyes, eyes that might have worked on her ten years ago and just looked silly on him now.

"Nope. Is that all you wanted?"

"No," Naruto stuck his tongue out. "I wanted to get your ass to team training. We haven't had one of those in a while, and Sasuke is in serious need of an ass kicking."

"And you can't hand one out on your own?" Sakura asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Damn straight I can," Naruto grinned, "but it'd be more fun if you were there to see it. Or to help. Now c'mon," he said, standing.

"Okay," Sakura acquiesced. It's not like she had anything better to do, and a good workout with the boys might be just what she needed to get her mind off a certain someone. "Just let me go get my workout clothes."

* * *

Sakura collapsed on the ground next to Naruto, a huge grin on her face. She was sweaty and tired and was sporting a handful of new cuts and bruises on her body, but she felt _good._ She loved her job, but the downside of having so much responsibility at the hospital was that she had so little time to train with her boys. Sparring with them was fun, it was challenging, and she learned something new each time. They had rapidly evolved over the years, and though they had all chosen to take different paths, with Sakura at the hospital, Naruto aiming for Hokage, and Sasuke content with working with the Anbu, it felt great to go all out with them again, as if they were still 12 year olds with nothing on their minds but the present.

"You've gotten better with the Sharingan," Naruto grumbled as Sasuke and Kakashi came over to sit beside them.

"Hn. Your clones, too." Naruto accepted this as the greatest compliment and rolled over to glomp him. Sasuke struggled momentarily, but gave up quickly, realizing it was in vain.

"You are all," Kakashi drawled from behind Icha Icha, which had appeared out of nowhere, "doing very well. You can thank me for that."

"Yeah, right, old man," Naruto yelled, while Sakura laughed and Sasuke chuckled. "All you ever do is read your nasty porno books!"

"They're not porn, they're literary masterpieces of a serious nature," Kakashi sighed, bored of defending his habits again. "They could only be considered porn by someone who has little to no experience with sex and is too horny for their brains to function."

"So someone like Sakura?" Sasuke smirked. Sakura's mouth opened in surprise as Naruto let out a peal of laughter.

"Hey! I have sexual experience! Just cause I don't shout it out to the world doesn't mean it doesn't happen!"

"Pff," Kakashi curled his eye at her in amusement. "When was the last time you had sex? At least a couple of years ago, right?"

"Oh yeah, the dentist."

"That dude was so lame, why were you even with him?"

"CAUSE HE WAS NICE!" Sakura shrieked. "AND IT WAS YOUR FAULT WE BROKE UP, TOO!"

"What? How was it _our_ fault?" Naruto asked, looking hurt.

"Well we did break into his house and leave threatening messages," Sasuke commented.

"That's not the point," Kakashi steered them back to the matter at hand. "The point is that you need a good fling. It's the only way you're going to get rid of your sexual frustration."

"Ex_cuse _me?" Sakura growled. She really didn't want to be hearing this from them.

"Well it's not good for you to do nothing but work all the time. Your body needs a rest. Of the sexual kind." Kakashi said seriously, while the two boys nodded along and tried not to laugh at Sakura's expression.

"You guys—"

"Hey!" Naruto interrupted her, "Actually, I heard a rumor yesterday that she is getting some. And guess from who?"

"Don't you dare—"

"SHIKAMARU!" Naruto shouted happily, interrupting her yet again. "OW!" He cried when she inevitably smacked him over the head. Thankfully, she had refrained from using her chakra, but a bump was still growing rapidly.

"Mmm" Kakashi hummed uninterestedly while Sasuke shrugged.

"You guys aren't surprised?" Naruto asked, dejected.

"Well he did take her home on Friday," Sasuke said, "so if anyone, it would have been him."

"Yeah, and he's _is _a genius, which is her type, right?" Kakashi added.

"You guys are ridiculous," Sakura huffed. "Don't tell me you actually believe that stupid rumor?"

"No," Sasuke conceded. "You're not really the type to have a one night stand." kakashi nodded in agreement, but Naruto still looked dubious.

"Well why was he at your place Saturday morning then?" He demanded.

"He just stayed over, in a _non_-sexual way," Sakura cried out. "And for that matter, why is it even any of your business who I have over, in my bed or out of it?"

"Well we _are _your teammates," Kakashi said, "It's our job to look out for you."

"And cause we love you, Sakura-chan," Naruto grinned.

"Hn. We are pretty much a family," Sasuke added. It was true. None of them had any living relatives, and had very quickly formed bonds closer than that of friendship. None of them really spoke about it much, but the understanding was there, and they showed it by looking out for each other as much as possible.

"That has nothing to do with it," Sakura sighed, slightly mollified. "I don't go around keeping track of who's in _your_ beds."

"That's cause you know who's in my bed, believe it!" Naruto said happily, earning a sharp jab to the gut from a bright red Sasuke.

"I see your point, Sakura," Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "But I still think that you should find time in your life for other things besides work, sexual or not."

"Okay," Sakura said, standing up. "I'll take your advice to heart. In the meantime, lunch?"

* * *

After agreeing to meet at Ichiraku's after a quick shower, Sakura headed off, leaving her boys behind.

"So," Kakashi said as soon as she was out of earshot. "Shikamaru, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Are we really gonna do this again?" Sasuke sighed.

"Actually, I'm ok with him," Kakashi shrugged.

"Me too!" Naruto said. "He's cool!"

"I am as well," Sasuke said, "but there is the small problem of them not actually being together?"

"And the fact that even if she did like him, Sakura would never admit it," Kakashi added.

"Man, she really needs to stop working all the time and go on a date," Naruto said.

"I'm sure it doesn't help that every time she does we chase off the guy." Sasuke deadpanned.

"But, ne, Sasuke, none of those guys were good enough for her, right?"

"Facts," he shrugged, "But I still don't see how they would get together. They're both notorious workaholics."

"You know what that means," Naruto grinned mischievously. "We're gonna play matchmaker!"

"And I know just where to start," Kakashi said, rubbing his hands together evilly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sakura was walking home. _And here I was hoping to use training to get my mind _off_ of sex,_ she sighed to herself. Why was everybody suddenly so interested in what went on in her bedroom anyway? And why did everyone think she was some innocent virgin? It's not like she never had sex, but first Ino had called her a prude, and now the boys thought she wouldn't have a fling?

_First of all_, she growled to herself, _I am _not_ a prude. And sure, I don't have many flings_ (or any, really), _but that's just because I don't have the time. I could if I wanted to. I'm no Ino, but it's not like I'm unattractive or anything, right?_

And yes, it would be nice to get laid every once in a while, but she really didn't have the time for a boyfriend or a relationship or anything, and one night stands weren't really her thing. What she needed was a sex-friend or something, with a man who worked as hard as she did and would be ok with being called up for impromptu bouts of sex. Sakura giggled at the idea. She didn't know if she would have the guts to ever do anything like that, but it was fun to imagine.

_I wonder what Ino would say if I got a sex friend?_ Sakura smiled to herself as she opened her from door. _She'd probably be thrilled._

Walking in, Sakura sighed as she realized that her AC was still broken, making the heat in her house as unbearable as outside. Worse, even, since there was no refreshing breeze here. With no more thoughts of sex or sex friends, Sakura stripped off her clothes and headed to the shower.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were already waiting at Ichiraku's. Sasuke spotted her first and waved her over, Naruto too absorbed in his first bowl of ramen to notice anything until she sat down.

"Hey Sakura," he shouted between bites, barely managing to keep his food in his mouth. "Was wondering where you were!"

"Sorry about that. I wanted to get some laundry done before leaving. Where's Kakashi-sensei?"

"Late, as usual," Sasuke answered. Sakura nodded and sat down next to them, ordering her usual. It was a habit for them to try and meet here for lunch at least once a week, schedule permitting. Since they were all so busy usually, it was never certain that they'd see each other otherwise. Unfortunately, Naruto had been called away on a mission two weeks ago, and last week Sakura hadn't been able to get out of work. It had been a while, and it was nice to fall back into the familiar pattern of lunch and banter.

Naruto and Sakura had started a heated debate over how many times a week ramen was an acceptable meal when Naruto found a reason to break away.

"HEY SHIKA! OVER HERE!" He called, waving to the boy who had just walked in.

"Hey Naruto, Sasuke," he nodded at them, "Sakura." He grabbed the stool next to her. "I'm not interrupting a team meeting or anything, am I?"

"Nope!" Naruto grinned. "Actually, you can do me a favor and distract Sakura so she'll let me eat my ramen in peace!" Sakura leaned around Sasuke to slap Naruto in the head.

"Hey," she said, smiling nervously at Shikamaru. She hadn't seen him since the events of Saturday.

"Hey. Long time no see," he smirked slightly, and she relaxed.

"Haha yeah," she giggled. "Long time."

"No work today?" He asked, leaning against the counter. "Thanks," he added, when Ayame set his bowl down in front of him.

"N-no. Well, not until later, anyway," Sakura responded, distracted by the fact that his knee was brushing against hers under the table. "You?"

"Just got off, actually," he smiled slightly. "Tsunade-san's been busting my ass lately."

"Same," Sakura sighed. "Actually, we're going ahead with the development of a new psychiatric department at the hospital, and with half the nurses going through re-training, we've been severely understaffed lately. It's gotten really bad."

"Yeah, I heard about that. Shizune-san's taking over that department, right?"

"Mhmm."

"Which makes you in charge of emergency care, now, doesn't it? Congratulations." Sakura flushed in embarrassment.

"Thanks," she laughed. "Though I get the feeling It's more of a curse than a blessing. I Haven't gotten any time off in months, with the exception of last saturday."

"Yeah, but I'm willing to bet you don't mind that much," Shikamaru grinned at her. "Considering how much you love your job."

"Well, yes," Sakura conceded, "but it gets pretty stressful without a break sometimes. Not to mention how dangerous it can be to be exhausted on duty in my line of work." She smiled up at him. "I'm sure you can relate."

The two embarked on a heated discussion on the effects of stress in their work, not noticing that they were drawing closer together until Naruto shoved Sasuke into Sakura, who promptly fell into Shikamaru's lap.

"Whoops! You guys ok?" Naruto laughed at the embarrassed expressions on their faces until he turned to his boyfriend, who's face clearly showed that he did not enjoy being used this way.

"Naruto," Sasuke growled, righting himself. "What the fuck was that?"

"I'm sorry Sasu-chan, I didn't mean to push that hard! Sometimes I forget how light you are!" Naruto babbled an apology, not realizing that he was digging his own grave. Behind them, Sakura and Shikamaru were trying not to laugh.

"How. _Light._ I. Am?" Naruto's eyes widened.

"No, no, not light. Just, you know, smaller? More fem—uh. Smaller?"

"Were you just about to call me _**feminine**_?" Sasuke practically shrieked. You know, for him, so it was only slightly higher pitched than his normal talking voice.

"No, I wasn't!" Naruto was in full panic mode now. "You're not feminine at all!"

"I have an idea," Sasuke snapped, standing up and slamming money down on the table. "How about I show you just how un_feminine_ I am." He grabbed Naruto by the shirt and dragged him out, leaving Sakura and Shikamaru staring after them.

"Well," Shikamaru said, breaking the silence they had left behind. "That was strange."

"Meh," Sakura shrugged. "It happens every once in a while."

"Really?" Shikamaru chuckled. "I would never have guessed."

"Yeah…Damn!" Sakura exclaimed.

"What?"

"Naruto was supposed to fix my AC today! Ugh that sucks, I'm not gonna be free during the day for at least another week."

"Mmm," Shika hummed. "I could do it, I guess. I have some free time right now anyway."

"Really?" Sakura beamed at him. "That'd be great!"

* * *

**Later:**

"That was really smart of you, faking a fight to get us to leave like that," Naruto beamed at his boyfriend.

"What makes you think I was faking it?" Sasuke smirked back.

"Well, for one," Naruto laughed and rolled over so that he was on top of Sasuke, "you wouldn't have led us straight to the bed if you were really mad."

"Hn," Sasuke smiled, accepting the kisses his lover showered him with.

**At the same time:**

"Hm?" Kakashi said, walking into Ichiraku's. "Where'd everyone go?" Shrugging, he sat down with his ramen and pulled out his book.

* * *

/505

Finally! And I swear I'm writing this time!

Let me know what you think

Thanks

505/


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